26 August 2016
SANTA RITA, Guam – Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific (NSTCP) detachment (det) Guam held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the brand new Mobile Trainer (MT) 1000 submarine firefighting trainer on Polaris Point, Guam, Aug. 26.
The MT-1000 is the hottest firefighting trainer in the U.S. Navy and can run until temperatures reach 700 degrees Fahrenheit at five feet above the deck. It is designed to train service members in both basic firefighting and responsive team training to improve the casualty response of forward deployed units in the Western Pacific.
“The addition of the MT-1000 reinforces the Navy’s commitment to ensure our submarine force is trained to the highest degree of readiness and that our crews are ready to handle emergency situations underway,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jarrod Trant, NSTCP det Guam Officer in Charge. “The MT-1000 is the newest, hottest firefighter trainer in the U.S. Navy, putting our front line submariners through rigorous firefighting scenarios, which provides invaluable training.”
One of the MT-1000’s two fireplaces simulates a switchboard electrical fire, and the other is a bilge fire with a flashover capability that shoots propane across the ceiling, which rapidly raises the temperature inside. Training is routinely conducted around 200-300 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be reached within a couple of minutes at full burn. The MT-1000 can train two hose teams of four Sailors each simultaneously and is closely monitored by staff to ensure safety and compliance with proper firefighting techniques.
“This top-of-the-line trainer will benefit the submarine force and the fleet by developing team skills with real-life firefighting scenarios in a controlled environment,” said Trant. “We want to ensure the teams have the tools they need to be successful should similar situations arise underway.”
The MT-1000 is specially designed to improve firefighting capabilities aboard submarines with a side watertight door and topside hatch over a vertical ladder to simulate firefighting conditions and accesses on submarines. The trainer also has moveable metal panels to simulate different scenarios and increase the difficulty.
Capt. Michael Martin, NSTCP Commanding Officer, was present for the ceremony and is excited about the new systems coming online.
“The MT-1000 is another addition in a series of new training capabilities coming to Guam,” said Martin. “Over the last three years, NSTCP det Guam has expanded from a small office of four instructors to a staff of 20 by the end of the year, running a state of the art Attack Center, Submarine Bridge and integrated navigation trainer, Ship Control Operator Trainer (SCOT) and the new MT-1000 along with an advanced engineering Virtual Interactive Display Equipment (VIDE) trainer coming online in November.”
The new facility was built by Kidde Fire Trainers, Inc. and shipped from Groton, Connecticut, to Guam in July. The MT-1000 has been undergoing acceptance testing throughout August and will be ready to train submariners in September.
“The submarine force and Submarine Learning Center (SLC) have provided considerable resources to buy, build and man this schoolhouse,” said Martin. “Guam continues to provide excellent state of the art training to the forward deployed submarines equal to any submarine homeport.”
NSTCP det Guam is located at Polaris Point in Apra Harbor, Guam and shares a building with Commander, Submarine Squadron 15. Together, they are responsible for providing training, material and personnel readiness support of four Los Angeles-class attack submarines stationed in Guam and submarines deployed throughout the Pacific Ocean. The submarines and submarine tenders USS Frank Cable (AS 40) and USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) are maintained as part of the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed submarine force and are readily capable of meeting global operational requirements.
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